Automatic carriage-reversing mechanism for typewriters



Dec. 1 1925- C. D. FRENCH ET AL AUTOMATIC CARRIAGE REVERSING MECHANISM FOR TYPEWRITERS Filed Nov. 24. 4 Q

Tram/2 l ,2). ,Browm gnoentow With the foregoin s i atenteel Dec; 1925;

CHAUNGEY D. FRENCH AND LOTT D. BROWN, 01 DALLAS, OREGON.

AUTOMATIC CARRIAGE-REV ERSING MECHANISM FQIR 'IYfiEWlRIETWS.

Application filed. November 24, 1924. Serial No. 751,916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Cnnunonr D. l nnncfl and Low D. BROWN, citizens of the United States, residing at Dallas, in the t5 county of Polk and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Carriage-Reversing Mechanisms for Typewriters, of which the following is a specification. W This invention relates to the art of typewriters, and has moreparticular reference to an automatic means for reversing the movement 7 ot the carriages thereof, the primary object of the invention residing in the provision of a device of this character that may he readily associated with practically all forms of typewriters, for allowing the carriages to be automatically moved in a reverse direction, at any time required, "for obviously overcoming the necessity of the typist reversing the carriage by hand.

An additional object is to provide means of this character that includes a rack her rigidly connected with the appropriate end of the typewriter carriage, the teeth or which rack bar are in mesh with a small gear wheel upon one end of the armature shaft of an electric motor, which is sup ported at the same side of the typewriter, which motor is in normally open circuit with a suitable source of energy, through the medium of a switch mechanism to he controlled by. a button located at acouvenient point at the typewriter key hoard, for thereby overcoming the necessity of the operator removing his or her hand from the keyboard in the reversingof the carriage.

A further and important object is to provide a mechanism for automatically reversing the movement of the typewriter carriage, thatmay be associated with-practically all forms of typewriters, in a quick and inexpensive manner, and one wherein the parts are not liable to readily hecome out of order, and wherein the same may he repaired, whenever the occasion arises, by the operator, due to the extreme simplicity or the mechanism.

all

and other objects in vim-as the nature the invention will be 'hetter understood, the same comprises the oflparts hereinafterlmore fully described, w the acco pa ying drawing and claimed.

novel form, combination, and arrangement.

In the drawing, wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout all of the views:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a well known form of typewriter, equipped with our automatic carriage reversing mechanism, and

Figure 2 is a top plan view of certain of the mechanism for disclosing more clearly means for imparting the necessary rotation to the platen at the operation of the can riage.

gigure 3 is an elevation of this means, an

Figure l is a diagrammatic view disclosing the electric circuit'of the mechanism.

N ow, having particular reference to the drawing, there is shown a conventional form of typewriter that embodies the usual frame 5 and carriage '6, consisting of the usual platen 7, paper guide 8, and other well known parts, not necessary of description.

@ur invention, per se, constitutes the provision of a bracket shaped platform 9, that is rigidly secured to the appropriate side of the frame 5 at a point slightly beneath the platen 7, and upon which is to he supported a small electric motor 10, of relatively low voltage, the forward end of the armature shaft of which is provided with a relatively small spur gear ll, that is formed centrally upon its outer side with a small knob 12 for efiecting a brake drum, for a purpose presently he descrihed.

Also supported upon.- said hraclret shaped platform 9 and hetween said motor 10 and typewriter frame 5, is an electric switch base. 13, of fibre or other sutahle non-conducting material. This switch base 13 carries, adjacent its upper edge a contact point 14:, while at the lower edge thereof is an insulating block 15, to which is secured one end of a horizontally disposed strip of spr metal 16, which is so bent as to providea pair of notches 17 and 18, inter mediate the ends thereof.

Pivoted, as at 19, to the outer face of said switch rod 13, intermediate the contact 14 and sprin strip 16 is a switch lever of general -el1a, the lower arm of which is adapted to selectively engeged in either of the notches l7 and 18 of the spring strip, for maintaining the upper arm in or out of engagement with thp contact 14. The lateral arm 2350f said swltch lever till panying drawing, it will at once be apparhas pivotal connection as at 22, with the upper end of a pendant link bar 23 that is, in turn, pivoted at its lower end to a horizontal rock bar 24, that is pivoted intermediate its ends as at 25, to the bracket platform 9, that supports the motor and switch before described. The inner end of this rock bar has pivotal connection to a downwardly extending relatively elongated link bar 26 that is guided through a bracket 27 on the adjacent side of the typewriter frame that is provided at its lower end with abutton 28, that may be depressed by one of the fingers of the typewriter operator. The depression of this button obviously moves the switch lever upon its pivot as to engage the upper end thereof with the contact 14 of the switch.

Rigidly secured, in a manner to be presently described to the end of the typewriter 6 adjacent the motor and switch construction is a horizontal rack bar 29 formed upon its lower edge with rack teeth 30, that have mesh with the teeth of the spur gear 11 carried by the armature shaft of said motor 10. Secured to said rack bar 29, adjacent the opposite endsthereof are pendant brackets 3131 that carry at their 7 lower ends rollers 3232 which are adapted to engage, at thelimit of movement of the carriage 6, in opposite directions, the switch lever 20, for obviously throwing the same into or out of engagement with the contact 14. of the switch mechanism.

Included in our reversing means for typewriter carriages is a storage battery 33 of suitable voltage that may be disposed alongside the typewriter frame. One pole of this battery is electrically connectedas' at a with the switch lever 20, the other pole thereof being electrically connected as at b with one contact of the motor 10, the other contact of said motor being electrically connected as at 0 with the contact 14 of the switch mechanism.

From the 'foregoin description, when considered. in conjunction with the accoment that the normal position of the switch lever 20 is out engagement with thecontact 14.. The carriage 6, moving in a direction .toward the left during the operation of the machine, will naturally movethe rack bar 29 in a similar/direction, and as the same is reaching its limit of movement, the roller 32, at the right hand end of the bar will strike the switch lever, for moving-the same into engagement with the contact 14, immediate y completing the circuit .between the storage battery and motor, and a rota-' tion of the-same will'retiirn the carriage .to

its' position at the right ofthe typewriter.

nreaching a limit of movehaud direction, the other h witelg le e 20 roller 32 will: i

for moving the same out of contact with the member 14, whereupon the circuit will be broken from the battery to' the motor.

Also carried by the rack bar 29 adjacent the inner end thereof is a pendant spring strip 34 that engages the before mentioned brake drum knob 12 of the spur gear 11 for stopping the rotation of the armature shaft of the motor, immediately upon the breaking of the circuit to the motor from the storage battery.

As a means for securing the rack bar to the carriage of the typewriter, there is provided a bar 35 at the end of the platen, the same being secured at its inner end, in any manner desirable to the carriage. Secured to this bar is a lateral bracket 36 that is formed at its front end with a hori zontal extension 37 through which extends a stub shaft 38, that also projects through the adjacent end of the rack bar. 29, which is in spaced relation to said extension 37. This end of the rack bar is integrally joined to-the bracket 36 by a connecting bar 39.

In the use of our device, it is necessary that the thumb wheel upon the right hand end of the platen be removed, and a bevel gear 40 substituted therefor. In mesh with this bevel gear is a similar gear 41, upon the front end of the stub shaft 38. Said shaft 38 carries intermediate the rack bar 29 and horizontal extension 37, a ratchet or spur gear 42.

Longitudinally slidable in bearings 43, upon the rear side of the rack bar is a two part rod 44, the sections of which may be adjustably secured together, through the medium of means-designated 45, the same permitting the rod to be increased or diminished in length for a purpose presently to be described.

J ournaled in the rack bar 29 is a shaft 46, that is equipped at its outer end with a gear 47, the teeth of which will engage the teeth of the motor shaft gear 11. It will be necessary that the thickness of the gear 11, be such as to engage the teeth of the rack bar 29, and the teeth of the gear 47 The inner end of the shaft 46 is equipped with a cam wheel 48, in close relation with which is the adjacent end of the bar 44, normally maintained in this relation through the medium of the expasible springs 49-49. One of the springs 49 is disposed between a bearing 50 and an abutment on the rod, and the other spring 49 is disposed between a bearing 56 and the connecting means 45. a

In the o eration of our mechanism, a depression o the button will close the circuit to the motor and a rotation thereof will operate the rack bar-to move the carriage in a-- direction toward the right; As the rack bar is moving toward-the right, the wheel 47 will n n rthe gear 11 of the llU motor shaft foroperating the camwheel 48. The rotationof this cam wheel will force the rod in a direction toward the left a ainst ful commercial use.

Having thus described our invention,

- what 'we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An automatic carriage reversing mechanism for typewriters. comprising a bracket abutments, one adjacent each end of the rack bar for engaging the switch for maksupported upon one side of the typewriterframe, a motor supported on the bracket, the armature shaft of said motor being equipped with a gear wheel, a rack bar secured to the adjacent end of thecarriage and disposed to one side thereof and having its teeth in mesh with the teeth of the gear Wheel, a switch in circuit with the motor,

ing and breaking the motor oircuit,-and a spring mounted on the rack bar for eng gmg the armature shaft of the motor or braking'the same after the switch has been moved to an off position.

2, In an automatic carriage'reversing' mechanism for typewriters, a motor supported upon one side of the typewriter frame, the armature shaft. of 'said motor being equip ed with a gear wheel, a hori J zontal-rack ar' secured to the adjacent end U of the carriage to one side of the platen thereof, a gear 'operatively associated with the platen, a second gear rotatab'l mounted 'on the rack bar, and inmesh wit the gear operatively associated with the platen. a

third gear "operatively associated with the second gear, a rod slidably mounted on the rack bar having one end engageable with .thethird gear.

tures.

the third gear, a cam rotatably mounted on the rack bar and associated withthe other end of therod, anda ear operatively associated with the 6am r meshing with the gear on the armature of the motor.

3. In an automatic "carriage reversing mechanism for typewriters, a motor supported upon one side of the typewriter frame, the armature shaft of said motor being equipped with a gear wheel, a horizontal rack bar secured to the adjacent end of the carriage to one side of the thereof, a gear operatively associate with the platen, a second gear rotatabl mounted on the rack bar, and in mesh wit the gear operatively associated with the platen, a third gear operatively associated with the second gear, a rod slidably mounted on the rack bar having one end engageable with the third gear, a cam rotatably mounted on the .rack bar and associated with the other end of the rod, and agear operatively associated with the cam for meshing with the gear 'onth'e armature of the motor, means for adjusting the length of the rod.

4.- In' an automatic carriage reversing mechanism for typewriters, a motor supported upon one side of the typewriter frame, the armature shaft of said motor laten' I.

being equipped with a gear wheel, a hori-.

zontalrack bar secured to the adjacent end .ofthe carriage to one side-of the platen thereof, a gear operatively associated with the platen, a second gear rotatablv mounted on the rackihar, and in mesh with the gear operatively associated with the platen, a third gear operatively' associated with-the second gear, a rod slidably mountedon the rack bar having one end engageable with the third gear, a cam rotatably mounted on the rack bar and associated with the other end of the rod, and a gear operatively associated withthe cam formeshin'g with-the gear on the armature'of the motor, means for adjusting the length of the rod, and means normallyholding'the rod disengaged from In testlmony whereof we afiiir our signaoHA'uNciiY 1 FREiioiL;

o'r'r 1). BROWN. 

